The Pirate Princess
by Dreamatorium
Summary: Captain Swan. AU. Princess Emma is placed under a sleeping curse by Rasputin as a baby. She grows up under constant supervision. The night before her curse hits, Emma flees to Neverland, where she runs into the one person she is trying to avoid - Rasputin. But Emma is rescued by the pirate Killian Jones, who turns out to be an unexpected ally when Emma's entire family needs saving.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **In this story, there is no curse. Emma grows up in "Aragon," which is my version of The Enchanted Forest.

I'll also be incorporating most of the main characters from ONCE, giving them a new backstory.

**Just FYI:** I based the beginning on _A Princess Bride_. Emma tells her daughter, Arianna, the story of how she defeated Rasputin and saved her family and how she found love along the way: in Killian Jones. So, this story is Emma and Hook's story, as told by Emma.

Disclaimer: I like mixing all my favourite fairytales and creating a new one, but I do not own any of them. Nor do I own any of the Once Upon a Time characters.

Please read and review!**  
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**Prologue**

_There once was a girl with hair of fire _

_who knew but little of desire,_

_until she heard her mother's tale _

_of how she met her perfect male_

_whom she wed in white dress and veil _

_to seal the bond for better or worse, _

_after they overcame an evil curse._

_xxx_

_This girl was yet to meet her prince _

_and experience her first true kiss,_

_for she was still of tender age _

_and had not yet reached that blissful stage._

_Someday, though, it would arrive_

_and fill her heart with happiness._

_xxx_

_But until that moment was nigh,_

_her mother's tale would get her by. _

_She spun this story every night_

_to satiate her daughter's appetite..._

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The young girl sat bolt upright in bed, hardly able to contain her excitement. Tonight was the night her mother would tell her the story once again.

It was a story her mother had begun telling her when she was ten years old. Now, a year later, she was still telling it, but as she had ceased to do so for a few weeks, her daughter was so much longing to hear her favourite bedtime story again that she couldn't help twiddling her thumbs in anticipation.

Before the girl, known by the name of Arianna, had reached her tenth year, the girl's mother had always told her she was too young to understand, but since Arianna had begun attending school, her mother had thought her to be ready to understand the story a little better. That was why she was in the habit of telling Arianna this story as often as she possibly could.

And so, it had become a tradition in their household that Arianna was told this bedtime story every single night, except if her mother was taken ill, of course.

It was a fairytale only her mother knew. She would sometimes write stories in her free time.

This tale, however, was one of the stories she hadn't written down yet, but she told it as if it were a part of her. She knew every word of it off by heart. So, as she did every night, the loving mother tucked her little daughter up in bed, but this time she felt the need to do some explaining before starting her story. She sat down by her daughter's bedside and asked her:

"Are you ready?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Tell me the story, Mummy, do!" the impatient little girl replied, jumping up and down on her bed with excitement.

"OK, OK, love. Calm down and snuggle up under those sheets. I need your full attention," the mother said with a hint of seriousness her daughter knew to obey.

After Arianna had made herself comfortable, tucked up securely beneath her blankets, her mother went on:

"Alright then. Now, listen carefully. There are a few things you need to know before I begin. They will help you understand the story," she explained, laughing heartily as she saw her daughter had begun fidgeting again.

After waiting briefly to collect her thoughts, the mother launched herself into her tale, her eyes sparkling with joy:

"Many people believe that life is made up of coincidences and chance events, and although coincidences are a part of life, there is much more to life than that. It is, of course, up to us to shape our own lives. Your life lies in your own hands, in your conduct and in the decisions you make. They lead you onto the next path, the next journey and so on and so on. Hopefully, we will make the right decisions, but sometimes it simply comes down to being in the right place at the right time."

The mother gazed out of the window briefly, a longing look in her eyes, then she added:

"So, there are coincidences, yes, but some chance meetings only seem to be coincidental when they really aren't. You see, I believe that some people meet because they are meant to, because they are destined for each other, destined to spend the rest of their lives together. This kind of meeting of two souls is what we call 'fate' or 'Providence'. I am sure there are many other words for it. The two kindred spirits that meet in this story are one such couple. Their meeting was fated from the moment they came into this world. They were meant to be together from the very beginning. They were a perfect match, really. Simply put, they were just two people who completed each other. And this is the story of how they met."

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**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this little prologue. Please leave a review! :)**  
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	2. A Princess is Born

**A/N: **All the characters we know and love from OUAT exist in this story (with exception of Zelena, Neal, Henry and and new season 4 characters) and I will try to explain what they are up to and how their storylines change without Regina's curse. I will devote entire chapters to the backstories of Regina, Cora, Snow and Rumple, as well as the villains. This is basically an ensemble cast story.

It may get a little complicated, so here are the basics: I decided to call the realm within Fairy Tale Land the Charmings live in "Aragon." They live in the White Kingdom in the town of Everton. The Enchanted Forest only refers to the forest itself and lies in Everton as well. The current rulers of Everton are King Leopold and Queen Eva, but they will pass on the crown to Snow White towards the end of the story. If there is ever a second installment to this story, Emma will be Queen.

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**Chapter I - A Princess is Born**

Once Upon a Time in Fairy Tale Land, a world divided up into many realms, in which all fairy tale characters and creatures lived peacefully side by side, there lived a princess whose life was to be cast into tumultuous turmoil when her family would be cursed and separated forever by an evil sorcerer called Rasputin. Until that day would come, however, she lived her life as happily as can be, fearless; never once expecting what was to lie in store for her.

This princess' name was to be Emma. A name that was to stand for courage and resilience. Emma would one day only be known as "the Saviour" throughout the realm of Aragon. This realm was ruled by Emma's mother Snow White and her father Prince Charming, whom Snow merely lovingly referred to as "Charming," something she had done since they had first met. Emma's parents were a happy couple who had finally found their happy ending after many trials and tribulations. The only thing now missing to complete their happiness was a child, a child which was to be born this day and which was to pay a price for her courage in trying to save her family, a price that was to destroy Emma's happiness, possibly never to be restored again...

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_**The Realm of Aragon **_

**October 22, 1983**

"She's in labour," Prince Charming heard the midwife call out to him, as she rushed into the library where he had been waiting patiently, trying to read to distract himself from his worry.

Snow was not having any onlookers. As always, she wanted to get through her pain on her own. "You'd better come," the midwife continued. "She needs you there, even if she would never admit it. Come, hurry!" she urged him, panting.

"I'll be there right away," Charming responded in his ever-so-gallant manner. Running up the winding staircase to their bedroom at top speed, he finally came rushing to Snow's aid.

"What are you doing here?" Snow immediately asked him reproachfully. "Didn't I tell you to...," she broke off in an exasperated tone.

"Stay away?" Charming completed her question. "Yes, you did, but I want to be here for you. I want us to go through this together, as we always do."

Snow groaned, in too much pain to respond.

"It's almost here," they heard the midwife say.

"IT?" Snow said menacingly through gritted teeth. "It...? You mean SHE."

"OK, now. Don't let me distract you. Just a few more...push…PUSH!"

And finally, Emma's first wails could be heard, as the midwife carefully held the new born in her arms. "What a beauty!" she exclaimed and handed the baby girl over to Snow to hold for the first time.

"Amazing!" Charming said awe-struck.

Snow's entire face glowed with happiness. "I will never let anything happen to you, my precious girl. My precious Emma. You hear me?" she whispered softly into Emma's ear, kissing her tiny hairless head gently.

"Yes, we will always protect you," Charming agreed, kneeling down by Snow's side. The couple could not be happier at this moment. Little did they know that their happiness would soon come to an abrupt end in but a few years' time.


	3. Dark Hollow

**A/N: **My version of the Enchanted Forest is called "Aragon". It is a realm within Fairy Tale Land. Within that realm also lies the White Kingdom. This kingdom is ruled by Queen Eva and King Leopold at present. They live with the Charmings under one roof. Charming was never royal, so he hasn't inherited a palace of his own.

Before Queen Eva and King Leopold, Leopold's parents Richard and Linda ruled the White Kingdom. If we go even further back, Richard's cousin, Queen Millicent ruled the White Kingdom alongside her husband Archibald who died in the Ogre's War. These are some of the names that will turn up in this chapter.**  
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**Chapter II - Dark Hollow**

The realm of Aragon, which the Charmings now called home, had not always been such a peaceful place as it was at present. This realm in particular had gone through many struggles in its time, among them was one of the most devastating and significant wars, now only referred to as "The Ogre's War". The hostilities began in 1865, approximately ninety years before Snow's birth. In the present day, the subject of the Ogre's War was hardly ever broached by the denizens of Aragon, unless it served the purpose of teaching the local children a lesson on the devastation this war had led to. Therefore, the Ogre's War mainly served as a teaching device nowadays, being discussed in Basic History lessons at the local schools. The main reason the Aragonians avoided any mention of the Ogre's War, was that the sheer thought of it was too frightening to bear. This war had shaken the entire realm of Aragon to its core.

On the fateful day the Ogres invaded the White Kingdom of Aragon, those monstrous creatures were led by an even more monstrous man, going by the moniker of Blackbeard. This man had a reputation of being both ruthless and wreaking havoc wherever the wind took him. Once an infamous pirate of the High Seas, this marauder one day became bored with this reckless lifestyle, striving for bigger and better things. His megalomania made him a particularly treacherous enemy. With his army of Ogres in tow, Blackbeard had planned on overthrowing the Edendelle's, the royal family ruling the White Kingdom at the time. On top of that, he envisioned himself the sole ruler not only of the White Kingdom, but of the entire realm of Aragon. He had planned on sending his troops throughout the realm, overthrowing one kingdom at a time, all the while enlarging his army to incorporate a host of vile beasts, only to finally oppress the entire population of Aragon. Even though Blackbeard didn't succeed in invading all the kingdoms, as he one day retreated abruptly, never to be seen again, this war is now thought of as the most devastating bloodbath in all of Fairy Tale Land...

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Queen Millicent White was an age-old ancestor of King Leopold's, Snow's father. King Leopold White and his wife Queen Eva White were the current leaders of the White Kingdom in Aragon. Queen Millicent had held the throne almost a century before Snow was even born. Upon arrival in Aragon, it was in the White Kingdom that Blackbeard and his Ogre army had decided to settle down to build up their campsite. Although Queen Millicent had many loyal followers, the army of Ogres outnumbered her troops, even though all creatures and all men willing and able to fight were sent to battle. Millicent's husband, Archibald, was among the warriors. Sadly, he did not survive the onslaught, although he shone with bravery.

Aragon was, however, not only home to heroes. Some of its inhabitants were not as blessed with such courage. Rumpelstiltskin was one such "cowardly" creature - or at least, so people thought. Ever since his father became a deserter in a previous war, Rumpelstiltskin's family name was tainted by dishonour. Although one of Rumpelstiltskin's greatest desires had always been to outshine the reputation his father had bestowed on his family as "weaklings" and "cowards", he was unable to escape his fate. The more he fought against his own cowardess, the more he seemed to be consumed by it. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Living only a mile off from the place where Cora currently resided on the castle grounds, Rumpel (as he was known in those parts) was a gentle soul, married to a woman named Milah. She had inherited her father's mill after he had passed away. While Rumpel would spin fibre into yarn on his spinning wheel, Milah was part of the weaving team. Even though funds were not low, the young couple lived a fairly humble life, as Rumpel preferred to be frugal. He was not one to brag about his fortune. Milah, on the other hand, had a tendency towards wastefulness. She was not happy with their way of life, although they owned a small cottage with their own patch of land. Similarly to Cora, she aspired to be among the richest in the realm one day, without taking it as far as Cora would later attempt to do. All Milah had ever wished for, was to be able to buy whatever she pleased no matter the cost. It was due to her feeling of not being fulfilled in her marriage that she attempted to find her happiness in material things. She knew they would only make her happy temporarily, but she preferred instant gratification to being frugal. She also feared she would fall into depression should she lose sight of all passion, even if that passion happened to be a love of expensive things.

Whenever Milah strolled past the jewellery stands in Everton Valley, she felt the need to treat herself. As Everton was only a ten minute carriage-ride away from their cottage, this was not a rare occurrence. Everton Valley was known for its jewellery markets. Every month, the Goblins would present the newest jewellery that Queen Millicent had helped them manufacture. They even owned their own little business. Everyone in Aragon knew their diamond, ruby and emerald necklaces and bracelets, rings and earrings, were the highest quality jewels in the realm. The Goblins themselves were the ones who dug for diamonds in their mine. They had built their business from the ground up. In her spare time, crafty as she was, Millicent would then help design the jewellery. Glancing at the sparkling jewellery outstretched before her, Milah yearned to be able to wear a diamond necklace as her own prized possession instead of having to make do with only the smooth feel of a diamond in her hands. It felt wrong to her to leave them behind. She genuinely despised having to keep herself in check. As Rumpel was blind with love, he tended to overlook these superficialities of Milah's.

It speaks to her negative traits that she was almost pleased when Rumpel left for the war. She did not pity him in the slightest and only wished him to do his duty cold-heartedly. Rumpel had always interpreted this kind of behaviour as "tough love", but there was not much love left for Rumpel in Milah's heart at this point. When Rumpel thus returned from the war prematurely after a Seer had informed him that Milah was lying on her deathbed, Rumpel realised he would never see Milah again lest he return home. Engulfed by fear at the thought of losing his wife, Rumpel inflicted an injury upon his own knee, so he would be sent back home. It turned out that Milah had been severely ill for two weeks with high temperatures and a lack of appetite. However, loyal husband that he was, Rumpel found a way to cure her of her illness. In his desperation, Rumpel sought out the most powerful magical creature he knew: The Dark One. In the hopes of receiving help from him, Rumpel headed to Dark Hollow where the Dark One was known to reside. When Rumpel arrived there, he spoke out loud about his troubles:

"Is anybody there? Dark One, I am in desperate need of your help. Please, if you are here, show yourself!" Every word he spoke was echoed a millionfold. Deeper and deeper, he had gone into the Hollow when a gust of wind suddenly blew out his candle, leaving him in pitch darkness.

A booming voice replied out of the blue: "I am here. State your name and business."

Relighting his candle, Rumpel went on to explain his situation. The Dark One agreed to help Rumpel on one condition. He was to retrieve the Dark One's dagger from a man who had recently come into its possession: the infamous Blackbeard. The former pirate had been forcing the Dark One into committing atrocious deeds against his will during the war, paying no heed whom he was harming. Using the Dark One as his tool, he did not even shy away from murdering young village children should they stand in his way. Knowing that he would be in need of the most powerful magic Aragon had to offer, Rumpel saw no other option than to muster all his courage to retrieve the Dark One's dagger from Blackbeard's camp. During the following week, he kept watch on the camp from afar in order to memorise the ritual of the guards. When he felt ready, Rumpel then slipped into the camp unnoticed in the dead of night, almost waking Blackbeard. Yet, although it was a close shave, Rumpel succeeded in escaping unharmed.

Dagger in hand, he immediately headed back to Dark Hollow as promised. However, the Dark One tricked him. When he appeared in front of Rumpel, he asked to be shown the knife. While Rumpel held the dagger out in front of him for the Dark One to see, it was the Dark One himself who thrust his chest directly into the blade, falling to the ground with a broad smile stretched across his face. While Rumpel kneeled by the Dark One's motionless body, overcome by grief and anguish, the realisation suddenly struck him that he would now turn into the Dark One himself, as he who vanquishes the Dark One will take his place. Rumpel had held the dagger in his hand, which had led to the Dark One's death. Thus, Rumpel's fate had now been sealed. No sooner had this realisation sunk in than he began morphing into the Dark One. He was transformed into a hideous creature with shrivelled green skin, shimmering in the moonlight. Rumpel had taken over the former Dark One's mantle, finally possessing the powers to heal Milah. However, with his newly found magical powers came a price far greater than Rumpel could ever have imagined. After he had healed Milah, he began hunting down his aggressors. Everyone who had ever ridiculed him would have hell to pay. As time went on, Rumpel became accustomed to his new powers, only using them to make a point against his adversaries. With every dark spell he cast, his soul began to blacken. Slowly but surely, the darkness crept into his very being, transforming him into a soulless monster.

Milah's boredom in her marriage to Rumpel was thus soon replaced by fear. She now wished to escape more than ever. When two handsome shipmen paid their realm a visit one day, Milah did not hesitate to take them up on their offer to leave Aragon. The shipmen, one of their names was Captain Liam Jones, had come to this realm in order to retrieve the Dark One's dagger. How they had heard of it and where they had come from was unknown. All that Milah was aware of, was that she needed to find a way to flee from Rumpel and Aragon, so she helped the men find the dagger. She knew where Rumpel had hidden it in the woods, as he had entrusted her with this information, still believing in her truly loving him. After retrieving the dagger from its hiding place, Milah was only too keen to board the strange men's ship and join them on their journey, although she had absolutely no idea whatsoever where they were headed or whether they were even trustworthy.


	4. Matters of the Heart

**A/N: **To make things easier, I will explain a few things. There are several realms within Fairy Tale Land and within those realms there are several kingdoms.

The main story takes place in "Aragon," the realm the Charmings call home. There are several kingdoms within that realm. The Charmings live in the town of Everton in the White Kingdom. Their home is called Everton Castle, which is close to the Enchanted Forest. Most of the other characters, like Rumple and Regina, also live in Everton.

The White Kingdom is currently ruled by Queen Eva and King Leopold, Snow's parents. They live with the Charmings in Everton Castle.

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**Chapter III - Matters of the Heart**

Snow White and Prince Charming had always been an exemplary couple, but they too had had their troubles. Prince Charming was not always a prince. He grew up as a farmer's boy in the town of Everton in the White Kingdom, near Everton Castle, where Snow lived. It was his job to provide Snow White's family with fresh produce every day of the week. This is how Snow and Charming - or David, as he was also known – became quite close friends. They took an instant liking to each other. One of the things that bonded them was that both of them had endured childhood traumas.

While David had lost his twin brother, James, to a dragon named Maleficent, Snow had almost lost her mother to an evil sorceress named Cora. Luckily, Snow's mother was rescued just in time by none other than David himself when he was only fifteen. Shortly after David had slain Maleficent five years later, he was knighted for his brave and honourable act and was also awarded a badge of honour by King Leopold. This enabled him to reach a higher status in society and also won him the respect of Queen Eva and King Leopold. He killed Maleficent when he was only twenty years of age. His heroic act made him an ideal contender for Snow's hand in marriage. And marry, they did. Snow and David tied the knot four years later when Charming was twenty four and Snow twenty two. It did not take long for them to conceive their first child, Emma, a year into their marriage.

On the day David slayed Maleficent, it was the absence of his brother from his bed next door that had made David realise something was terribly wrong. Usually, James was a late sleeper, but on this particular morning, he had vanished into thin air around five am. To begin with, David thought his elder brother might simply have taken a stroll. Perhaps he couldn't sleep and needed to get some fresh air, but when an hour had passed by and James was still missing; David decided he had waited long enough. It was time to jump into action. So, David took his steed for a ride - a special magical sword he had received from Snow in hand - and he set off in search of his brother. He soon found him, too. James was lying motionless at the pit of a nearby cave. This was where Maleficent must have murdered him. She was known throughout the realm of Aragon, as she had terrorised village after village, killing many in her wake. Poor James must have decided he could be the hero his land needed him to be, but his attempt to slay the dragon had sadly failed, as he was less skilled at sword-fighting than his brother, who had learned to fight from Princess Snow White herself.

The blood oozing out of James's head was still warm. That was how David knew Maleficent must still be close at hand. He kept up his search for three more hours to find the dragon and avenge his brother's death. He finally found her, cowering in an underground cavern. David knew every nook and cranny of Everton. Therefore, Maleficent didn't stand a chance. His sword in hand, David carefully tip-toed into the cavern - and, seeing the dragon, he stabbed her unceremoniously in her chest. After a brief moment of teetering on her hind legs, Maleficent fell to the ground with an earth-shattering thud. The monster was now defeated and David became a hero. Sadly, he had lost his brother in the process, so David never really felt very heroic. He just saw himself as having done the right thing. According to him, anyone could have done the same.

Cora's family, the Millers, were another family living in the town of Everton in the White Kingdom. They resided near the Enchanted Forest. As head of the family, Cora had always searched for something more in life. She had great aspirations for her family and was willing and capable to do anything to escape their status in this world. She did not even shy away from murder, although the Millers were not a poor family, but that was not enough for Cora. She wanted her daughter, Regina, to be queen one day and the only way to accomplish this, was for her to marry the king. Either that, or Cora herself could make him fall in love with her. That way, Cora could replace Queen Eva. But even though Cora did succeed in having an affair with King Leopold, her attempt at splitting him and his wife up failed miserably, because Leopold saw right through Cora's ploy just in time. Soon, Cora became desperate. She eventually saw it as her only option to kill Queen Eva, so she would finally be able to weasel her way into royalty. That way, Regina would have a chance of becoming the next queen. The only person now standing in Cora's way was Queen Eva.

However, Charming had witnessed Cora's attempted murder and had managed to stop her, always being one to be at the right place at the right time. Snow, of course, was eternally grateful to him. She was only thirteen years old at the time and Charming had always been her protector. After this incident, Cora was securely imprisoned in the dungeons of the Charming's home, Everton Castle. She was sealed in by a containment spell, cast by the most powerful wizard in the magical world - Merlin. For his good friends the Charmings, Merlin had decided it was worth journeying from the far off Kingdom of Camelot in the realm of Albion, to the White Kingdom in Aragon. He had answered the Charming's' summons to cast a spell around Cora's prison cell in order to make sure she had no chance of escaping. Only an equally powerful wizard would be able to break this enchantment.

After Cora was imprisoned, Regina was crippled emotionally, engulfed by the pain of losing her mother. Regina was now left motherless, although Cora had never shown her much affection, or indeed love, to begin with. This was something Regina had been deprived of during her entire childhood. One day, when Regina was finally able to face her pain, she went to the dungeons to pay Cora a visit. It was on that day that Regina's mother confessed to have hidden her heart in a different realm a long time ago. As soon as Regina heard this, she decided to start a quest to find Cora's heart, so she could finally truly feel her mother's love and not the empty void that not even her father's love could fill.

Regina was determined to win her mother's love, no matter the cost. She was also old enough to make her own decisions. That was why she left home at the age of eighteen, shortly after Cora's imprisonment, so she could find a way to win her mother's heart back. After having packed up all her things and said farewell to her father, Regina soon made her way into the woods to start her journey. And although she knew very well that her mother had been rightfully imprisoned, she could not help but hold a grudge against those who had locked her up, the blissfully happy couple that had always gloated with their fairy tale ending – the Charmings!


	5. Into the Woods

**A/N: **In this chapter, Regina's journey into the woods in search of her mother's heart is explored. With flashbacks to Snow and Regina's childhood and an unexpected meeting between the two of them after Cora has an affair with King Leopold. Please leave a review! Feedback is always very helpful to know if you enjoy my writing.

**Just FYI:** I mention Sherwood briefly in this chapter. I decided that the town of Sherwood should lie in a neighbouring kingdom, next to the White Kingdom. I called it the "Midlands." Of course, it is Robin Hood that Regina will later meet in Sherwood Forest. I will catch up with them in a later chapter.**  
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**Chapter IV - Into the Woods**

The town of Everton lay on the Western border of the White Kingdom, the Enchanted Forest leading directly from Everton into the neighbouring kingdom, the "Midlands." The first town you came across at the end of the Enchanted Forest was called Sherwood, also known for its beautiful landscape and its very own forest. It was in this forest that Regina would eventually find herself after a two day journey through the Enchanted Forest. When Regina would eventually reach the border to the "Midlands," she would walk directly into the arms of someone who could finally help her on her quest to find Cora's heart – a very special someone, who would later turn out to be the love of Regina's life and her second chance at happiness.

For the moment, however, Regina was oblivious to this fact. She knew nothing of this life-changing event, which was to transpire in only two days' time. Currently, Regina was still trudging through the Enchanted Forest, having now walked for around five hours without really resting. Her mind was pervaded by a niggling sensation that she had made a mistake in setting out to search for her mother's heart...

XXX

The wind was howling viciously through the poplar trees as Regina trudged steadily onwards through the Enchanted Forest. Shivering, the young girl huddled deeper into her black travelling cape and pulled the hood firmly over her head, her dark curly hair tucked neatly beneath it. Regina walked on in determination, struggling slightly under the weight of her overfilled backpack. She was carrying a variety of sandwiches and no less than three large water bottles, knowing she would need the nourishment on an open-ended journey like this. Regina was uncertain as to where her destination was located. Therefore, she also had no idea how long it would take her to reach it, but she knew of an inn called "The Three Bargemen," which she would come across on her way. There, she could rest and stock up her food rations.

Regina's mother, Cora, had informed her where she had hidden her heart, but Cora hadn't specified how Regina was to get there. What Regina did know, however, was that she was headed to a place called "Wonderland," a realm known to be elusive and quite bizarre. Regina also knew that she would need to find a portal to get there, but they were very hard to find. The alternative was to buy a realm-jumping device, such as a magic bean, but they were few and far between as well. It would be best if Regina could find someone who knew how to travel between realms, someone like Rumpelstiltskin, but he hadn't appeared when Regina had called out for him. It was hard to get a hold of the little imp, as he was constantly changing locations. He would only come to her, if he wished to help her – and, sadly, it seemed he wasn't interested in doing so right at this moment.

Even though Regina didn't know how to wield magic herself, as her mother had only just begun teaching her the dark arts shortly before she was locked in the dungeons of Everton Castle, Regina knew she would find a way eventually - and she would do so all by herself. She didn't need anyone to help her. She was quite self-sufficient enough to manage on her own, thank you very much.

Although, Regina did wonder why she was putting herself through this ordeal. Would it really be worth the effort in the end to give her mother her heart back? Would Cora really change once her heart was back in the right place? Regina feared that her mother was simply evil in nature and that she would stay hard and unfeeling, unloving even. In fact, this was probably Regina's greatest fear: that her mother would never change - heart or no heart. She wondered why she hadn't yet given up on her mother, why she kept giving her second chance after second chance. She guessed it was probably because she simply loved her mother too much and was too dependent on her.

"Why do I keep forgiving her?" thought Regina in frustration, as she strode through the woods, sheltered by the canopy of dark green leaves above her.

"Why do I keep trusting her? Maybe she'll never change." Regina hung her head sadly, as she recalled the many times her mother had interfered in her life. After all that her mother had put her through, Regina would still go to the ends of the Earth for her, if it meant she would finally feel loved in return.

Cora had done many things, including having an affair with King Leopold in the hopes he would fall in love with her and attempting to kill Queen Eva, but there was one act Cora had committed that Regina simply couldn't overcome. Cora had killed Regina's first true love, a stable boy named Daniel. Regina had planned on running away with him, and her plan would have succeeded, had it not been for one pesky little nuisance who went by the name of Snow White. Regina spat on the ground in contempt as she thought of her now.

"What a little goody-two-shoes! If she had only kept her mouth shut!" Yes - if only. Regina would now be miles away, living in bliss with Daniel. Instead, she was on a mission to save her mother from imprisonment – the one person who, by wanting the "best" for Regina, had single-handedly ruined her happy ending. But even though Regina knew it was Cora who had really ripped away her happy ending, she placed all the blame on that innocent little girl who had blabbed a day too soon. All that Regina saw, was that Snow had deceived her when she had told Cora about the stable boy.

Snow had always been a thorn in Regina's side, sticking her little snub nose where it did not belong – but Regina wasn't out for revenge. She didn't want to be like her mother, no matter how much she loved her. She did love Cora, though, and it was this unconditional love that clouded Regina's judgement and made her overlook the many instances, in which her mother was actually to blame for Regina's unhappiness.

One of those instances took place when Cora had an affair with King Leopold. Regina was only fifteen years old when it happened, but even then, she couldn't contain her outrage. She was so upset, in fact, that she needed to clear her head from all the shouting that had gone on at home between her parents. She did this in the Enchanted Forest. Regina had always found the woods to be a calming, restful place where she could simmer down when her mother had done something bad again - only this time, she wasn't alone.

The daughter of King Leopold, Snow White, had also decided to head into the woods to run away from home. She couldn't bear the thought of her parents breaking up and wanted to punish her father for betraying her mother, Eva. That was why Snow rode into the Enchanted Forest on her stallion, Willoughby. She wanted to get away from it all and hoped to scare the living daylights out of her father, so he would come to his senses.

Snow had never run away before, so she thought her plan should succeed. When the young girl reached the woods, she immediately realised that her sheltered upbringing hadn't prepared her for this. It seemed as if dark shadows were lurking everywhere and even the trees bowing in the wind seemed to be staring at her with their gnarled faces. Snow felt frightened and utterly alone, wishing she hadn't been so foolish as to think she could be brave enough to fend for herself in the woods.

But - just when Snow was about to give up finding her way out of the labyrinth of trees - she found a little hut, in which seven friendly dwarves lived. Well – not all of them were friendly. In fact, one of them was very grumpy, but Snow was welcomed into their midst with open arms when she knocked on their door. After she told them her tale, they soothed her and helped her find her way back home. "If you ever come into the woods again," the grumpy one said, "we can teach you to defend yourself. Bossy's great at archery and he could be your teacher." Snow thanked them kindly and promised she would return as soon as she could. That was how Snow became a regular visitor at the seven dwarves' hut and turned into an excellent hunter.

On her way back home, Snow encountered Regina, a ferocious teenager who had stormed into the woods in a livid rage. She had only just heard about Cora's affair as well and was outraged her mother could behave in such a despicable manner. Regina felt just as betrayed as her own father did, even though Cora claimed she had only done it to offer Regina a better life. Seemingly, the affair between Cora and King Leopold had been going on for several weeks during a time when the king and his wife were having trouble conceiving. They had always wished for a second child, but it seemed Leopold's age may have played into their lack of fertility. It was a time when Leo and Eva were constantly arguing, a time when Leopold gave in to his weakness of strong, independent women when he met Cora on a stroll in the woods one day.

Cora Miller had enticed him. The king was so smitten with her that he asked himself why he hadn't waited just a little bit longer to get married. But, alas, at the age of forty-six, he had been under so much pressure to find a wife and produce an heir that his better judgment was clouded by his sense of obligation – or so he thought. Deep down, Leopold knew that Eva was the right choice, even though she hadn't always been very pleasant to begin with. There was a time when Eva herself was immature; much like Regina thought Snow to be now.

Shortly before Eva's marriage to King Leopold, when she was only twenty four years of age, Eva had committed despicable acts of her own. She was once quite an arrogant creature who believed herself to be better than the townspeople in the White Kingdom, simply on account of her royal status. One day, she encountered Cora Miller, who in those days was still labouring as a miller's daughter, desperately trying to keep her drunkard of a father and herself above the poverty line.

Back then, Cora's heart was still intact and safely beating in her chest, but that didn't mean Cora was content with her life. Far from it. Cora was, in fact, desperately unhappy before she married her husband, a Duke who would later lose most of his fortune, leaving Cora back where she had started. The only time Cora had ever been happy, was when she thought she would finally be rich. As a young girl, Cora thought her life to be abysmal. She had to work all day long in her father's stead, for he was never around - or when he was, he was snoring like a pot-bellied pig on one of the haystacks, sleeping off his hangover.

And he was a pig, too, according to Cora. He never cleaned up after himself, he never worked, he never cooked. He was a good-for-nothing, lazy slob. That was why, when he died, only a very small part of Cora felt mournful. For the most part, she was quite relieved to be rid of him. Only back then, Cora did her best to suppress this darkness inside her. Never would she have dared to utter this gruesome thought out loud.

"Useless scum!" was what Cora used to hiss angrily at her father when she saw he had once again collapsed in the barn where he had probably spent the whole night. Cora was sick of it. She was so sick of her miserable life and so sick of her stupid father! She had always dreamed of bettering herself, of becoming rich one day, but it seemed she was doomed to stay a poor miller's daughter forever. Cora loathed how the upper classes looked down upon her and she had always wanted to get her revenge, to show them that she was far from a "peasant lowlife."

On the day Cora met Queen Eva, back then still a princess visiting from the Northern Kingdom, Cora decided it was time for a change. She wouldn't be bullied any more. The princess had tripped her up on purpose, simply for her own amusement, and Cora had not forgotten that incident to this day. She resented Queen Eva for humiliating her.

Cora had always been inclined to believe the world was unjust, and she knew she deserved more from life - unlike girls like Eva, who were spoiled rotten and had everything, but appreciated nothing. That was why young Cora told herself, that, one day, she would take everything away from that little brat. Now Eva had become queen and Cora still lived in close proximity to her. Cora knew she would not rest easy until she had gotten her own back. That little minx wouldn't get away scot-free! No - she would pay for her insolence. And so, Cora's obsession with Eva was born.

But Eva was no longer that pubescent young girl she once was. She used to love to act out, but she had quickly learned to mind her manners and to be kind, turning into the most pure-hearted of souls. How else could she have taught her daughter, Snow, to do the same? She was a loving and caring mother now and had left her haughtiness behind her.

That was why it was uncalled for when Cora had an affair with Eva's husband and when she later even went as far as trying to kill Eva, three years after her affair had ended. It was a mix of jealousy and malice that drove her to this unforgivable act, but Cora's pitiful attempt to rid herself of Queen Eva had failed. She was now where she belonged, stowed away in the dungeons of Everton Castle.

On the day Regina met Snow in the woods, she took an instant dislike to that sprightly little girl. Even at the tender age of twelve, Regina found Snow to be unbearable company. It was Snow's unconcealed optimism which really rubbed Regina up the wrong way. Snow was such a nuisance in her opinion. Nobody could be that smug!

These days, Regina resentfully thought back on that first encounter with Snow as "the beginning of the end." Regina did this, because she believed her life to have gone downhill after meeting Snow. They met at the edge of the woods, after Snow had been led back onto the right path by the dwarves. Regina had only just arrived in the Enchanted Forest. She immediately recognised Snow from the papers.

"Your Highness!" Regina smirked at Snow in mock respect. "How do you do?" she said, pretending to curtsy.

Snow didn't hear the irony in Regina's voice and simply answered her nonchalantly "Very well, thank you!"

Regina laughed out loud this time. "Really?" she asked, shaking her head pityingly. If Snow was really that gullible, someone would soon take advantage of her naiveté. Regina didn't know what to feel. Here was Princess Snow, all charm and bright smiles, but as much as Regina wanted to hate the girl, she couldn't help feeling sorry for Snow White.

And Cora really wanted her to become like this Snow creature, all meek and obedient? "No, thank you!" thought Regina, a sour taste in her mouth.

"May I ask your name?" Snow went on unfazed by the frown that was now crinkling Regina's brow.

"Regina," she answered matter-of-factly.

"Nice to meet you!" Snow beamed at her.

"Yeah…" Regina hesitated, "nice to meet you, too, I guess." She was just about to turn round and continue her walk into the woods, when Snow asked her "What brings you here? Out for a walk?"

"Obviously!" thought Regina, marvelling at the persistence of this little pest.

"Yes, I needed to clear my head, you know?" Regina said, attempting to stay polite.

"Me, too," Snow nodded in agreement. "So, are you who I think you are? Are you...Cora's daughter?"

"Yes, actually. I am," Regina responded coldly.

"Then, don't you think we should talk about it? You know. The affair?" Snow prompted.

"Why should we?" Regina huffed impatiently.

"Because I can see you want to," Snow continued to smile kindly at her.

"Alright. Here's a thought. What about you stick your nose in somebody else's business?" Regina snapped back.

"But who else am I going to talk to?" Snow sounded forlorn and Regina finally relented. "All right, let's talk," she said, taking a tentative step towards the fuzzy-haired little girl.

"How are you dealing with all this madness?" Snow asked Regina.

"Well, I'm _not _dealing. With anything," Regina said bitterly. "Because that is what my mother does. She sees something she wants and she just takes it, like it's the most natural thing in the world. Typical!" Regina spat, bile rising in her throat.

Snow nodded understandingly, ignoring Regina's obvious anger. "So – you and your mother, you don't get on?" she asked.

"Ha!" Regina snorted. "Get on? No, we don't _get on_. My mother is always interfering in my business. She wants me to be more like you, actually, all poised and puffy, but I'm a no frills kind of gal. I'm really not princess material."

"That sounds horrible," Snow lamented. "I mean, the part about your mother. I'm so sorry." She looked sadly at Regina, who was now beginning to feel uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it," Regina said. "It's not your fault."

"So, your mother and my dad, huh? I hope they end it soon. My dad can get caught up in the moment and my parents are always fighting these days."

"I know what you mean," Regina nodded in agreement. "Well, best of luck to you." Regina tried to put an end to the conversation, but again, Snow interrupted her. "Wait! You want to go? Don't you want to talk some more?"

"More?" Regina said in exasperation. "What else is there to say?"

"Well, there's one thing I haven't told anyone yet, because I know my parents might be angry with me if I do," Snow said secretively.

"Oh? Well, aren't you going to tell me?" Regina was interested now.

"My parents are going to be so mad if they find out, because they want me to marry a prince when I'm older, but I think I'm in love with a farmer's boy."

"What are you, like ten? How could you possibly know you're in love?" Regina said unfeelingly.

"I just know," Snow answered simply.

"Well, you know, now that you mention it. I'm sure my mother wouldn't be too pleased if she found out about me and the stable boy, either," Regina scoffed, but she should never have told Snow this, because now the little girl with the loose lips was intrigued and would later blurt out Regina's secret to the one person who was never to find out – Cora.

It was Snow's innocence that had ruined Regina's life. With Daniel's death at the hands of Cora, Regina's happy future had died as well. But Regina had learned her lesson; she wouldn't trust anyone again. Ever! At least, if she could help it...


	6. The Celebration

**A/N: **This chapter is based on the scene in "Sleeping Beauty" where Aurora is cursed by Maleficent. In this version, Rasputin is the villain of the piece and Emma is cursed. There will be more elements from other fairytales later on, e.g. "The Swan Princess" and "The Silver Chair" by C.S. Lewis.

Some information you may need: King Leopold and Queen Eva are the current rulers of the White Kingdom in the realm of Aragon. Leopold's parents names are Richard and Linda. Richard is Queen Millicent's cousin. Since she didn't bear any children, the crown was passed onto Leopold's father and then Leopold himself.

I hope you like the premise of this story. If you like my writing and think I should continue, please leave a review!

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**Chapter V - The Celebration**

The day Emma was born was a joyous day indeed for the people in the White Kingdom. Once the news was out that their future Queen was born, the inhabitants of this kingdom began dancing in the streets in a giant parade. Not only mortal men took part in the festivities, but also the magical creatures of the Enchanted Forest. Dwarves and goblins, fawns and centaurs alike danced happily alongside the women and men of the White Kingdom. Children participated in the jubilations in their own way, making banners welcoming their princess into this world. They wrote things like "All hail Princess Emma!" and "We love you, Princess Emma!" It was a merry time indeed. The celebrations took place three whole days and nights in a row. The Charmings themselves thanked their people for the warm welcome of their daughter, as they had always seen it as important to be close to their people. They rode through the crowds in a horse-drawn carriage, not only in their hometown of Everton, but also the neighbouring villages, waving to their left and right in greeting of their people. On the last night, rainbow-coloured fireworks lit up the skies of Aragon to pay tribute to Emma.

Particularly the royal families of the neighbouring kingdoms were overjoyed to hear the news of the new-born Princess, for they knew of the pressure to pass on the crown. A long time ago, boys were preferred as future rulers, but nowadays the crown was passed on to the eldest child, be it male or female. Emma was therefore accepted and even embraced as the future Queen of the White Kingdom. She was, however, obliged to marry someone who had been sought out for her by her parents before she was even born. The Charmings were quite traditional in that respect. If their child was indeed to be a girl, they had decided, she would marry the son of the family they shared closest ties with. The name of Emma's future husband was Percy Sweeting, son of Princess Cinderella and Prince Thomas Sweeting. Since Percy was a good bit older than Emma - eight years to be precise - he had been promised to the Princess before ever even having lain eyes on her. His nature being not to overthink things, Percy had accepted this decision without complaint.

So, when Snow White and Charming decided to celebrate Emma's birth a week after the celebrations in the streets had died down, the Sweetings were honorary guests at this great feast. Royal families from all over Fairy Tale Land made their way to Aragon that day, but it was the Sweetings whom the Charmings were really looking forward to seeing once most. They couldn't wait for Percy to behold his future wife for the first time at long last. Even though he was only a boy and Emma a mere infant, it would still be a special moment for them both. Emma's three fairy godmothers would also be attending the celebrations -their names were Knotgrass, Thistletwit and Flittle - also known as the Pink, Green and Blue Fairy, respectively.

When all the guests had arrived and the great Banquet Hall of the Charming's white and gold palace was filled with beautiful women in colourful ball gowns and handsome men in their royal robes, Charming called the gathering to order by raising his champagne glass towards the centre of the room while standing on a podium. He was about to begin a speech. The hubbub died down quickly at this gesture and Charming cleared his throat before he began:

"Thank you all, my dear friends, for coming today to celebrate the birth of our darling daughter, Princess Emma!"

After these words of welcome, there were cheers of "Here, here!" and Charming nodded in acknowledgment before resuming his speech. "We are so proud to finally be parents ourselves after watching many of you experience the same joys." He grinned roguishly, then said, "It's our turn now!" The crowd chuckled audibly in response.

"But-" Charming went on, "on a more serious note. Even though these may be _our_ celebrations to some extent, they are just as much _yours_, for we have invited you here today to share our happiness at the birth of Emma and to join in the festivities." He paused briefly, taking a moment to glance at some of his closer friends in the front row, then focused back on the jam-packed hall before him. "So, enjoy yourselves, everyone! We don't see each other that often, so let's make the most of it!"

And with these concluding words, Charming raised his glass again to toast his daughter and, smiling broadly, bellowed, "Here's to Emma, our baby girl!"

"TO EMMA!" the crowd roared in unison. Then the music started up again and everybody began dancing formally at first and later more freely, proving that even royals can have fun despite their stuffy reputation. After an hour or so had gone by, it was time for Emma's fairy godmothers to bestow her with their gifts. This was a tradition in Aragon. Emma's wooden crib was brought into the Banquet Hall from the safety of the upstairs bedroom and was carefully placed onto the podium by two of the seven dwarves, Grumpy and Happy. When Emma was brought into the hall, all was quiet in anticipation.

First, the Pink Fairy, Knotgrass, waved her magic wand over Emma's little crib and said, "I give you the gift of beauty!" Then, the Green Fairy, Thistletwit, waved her magic wand in turn, saying, "I give you the gift to speak to animals!" And finally, Flittle flew timidly towards the crib and hovered over it for a moment to behold Emma's gentle features and soft blonde patch of hair. She then raised her wand and was just about to give Emma her gift when the large oak doors of the Banquet Hall flew open with a bang and the fairy nearly dropped her wand in fright. There, in the doorway, stood a menacing-looking wizard with greasy, shoulder-length dark hair, a black beard that ran down to his chest and a giant scar etched across the right side of his face. He was engulfed in a poison-green cloud of smoke. It billowed around his bony features as he stormed into the room, heading straight for the cradle. He was so thin and his skin was so papery that his cheekbones jutted out alarmingly and his black eyes bulged in their sockets.

"Blackbeard!" King Leopold gasped in horror.

The man laughed mirthlessly at the surprise in Leopold's voice. "I go by a different name now! Call me...RASPUTIN!" he hissed, waving his long fingers at the retreating crowd mockingly.

"You owe me, my dear! Time to pay up!"

"I don't owe you anything!" King Leopold snarled at this devilish creature.

"Oh, yes you do!" Rasputin suddenly whispered ever so softly, which made him sound even more dangerous. "I was promised the child and in return I ended my war. The grand Ogre's War was my idea of a little fun, but I never invaded any other realms after I had conquered the White Kingdom and, in return, Queen Millicent promised me to reveal her knowledge to me. She was a seer, you _see_?" he jeered, laughing hysterically.

Rasputin then strode through the parting crowd, coming to an abrupt halt before Queen Eva, King Leopold, Snow White and Prince Charming who were now forming a barrier between Rasputin and his desired possession.

"What gives you the right to barge in here and claim you have any right to our daughter?" Charming stepped forward, glaring into Rasputin's beady black eyes.

"I have the papers right here. Signed, sealed, delivered," Rasputin sneered at Charming, waving imaginary documents in the air. "A very long time ago, Millicent, my _dear_ old friend, promised me something," Rasputin reminisced, baring his chipped yellow teeth, "She promised me to tell me something that would be of great value to me, something she said would change my fate. She revealed to me that the child," he pointed to the crib Emma was resting in, "would be my only mortal enemy. The only mortal who could ever defeat me once I had reached immortality. She told me that your sweet little girl, your _Emma_, would one day become my destroyer. So, she promised me the child would be delivered to me immediately after its birth and I agreed to stop the war in return."

"She's _our_ daughter!" Snow hissed through gritted teeth, almost spitting at the bony man. "And she will _never_ be yours, you...you...MONSTER!" she shrieked furiously, her nostrils flaring with rage.

Rasputin merely smiled demurely, untouched by Snow's anger, and began strolling around the room, running the nail of his forefinger across the scar on his face. He seemed absent-minded.

Snow then turned to her father in desperation, whispering urgently, "How do you know this man? What has he got to do with us?"

"I'm so sorry, my child. Queen Millicent tried to warn us, " Leo told Snow, "She made a promise she knew she couldn't keep, one that was not hers to make in the first place."

He then whispered to Snow how Millicent had warned his father Richard, the heir to the throne at the time, about Rasputin and how she had made him warn his future family in turn.

"But everyone assumed he was a madman," Leopold went on, "and I certainly didn't want to worry you with a mere legend."

"A _legend_ now, am I?" Rasputin halted mid-stroll, smirking mockingly. He puffed out his chest in an exaggerated motion, exclaiming in mock-delight, "How very flattering!"

Leopold glanced up at him stony-faced, ignoring his jeers while she explained to Snow, "Millicent drew a picture of him a long time ago, which was passed on from generation to generation. That was how I recognised the _hideous beast_," Leo spat, narrowing her eyes menacingly. He had raised her voice at this last insult, meaning for Rasputin to hear his every word, but Rasputin was so void of emotion that Leo's scorn left him cold.

"Now, now, my children," Rasputin said evenly, "There is no need to fret. All I ask is that little girl over there, and I shall be gone."

"We will _never_ give her to you!" Charming fumed, brandishing his sword.

"I understand," Rasputin responded in a surprisingly calm voice, "That leaves me no choice, then." And just as suddenly as he had appeared, Rasputin vanished in his green puff of smoke, only to reappear within seconds right beside Emma's cradle.

"NO!" shouted Snow, running instinctively towards her daughter. Rasputin merely flicked his wrist lazily, throwing Snow off her feet with his magical powers. "Stay back, woman!" he yelled. "And let me have my child!"

"YOUR child?" This was too much for any mother to bear. Snow snatched the sword Charming was holding and marched up to Rasputin, ready to stab him in the back, but Rasputin anticipated her move and froze her in place. He had decided he too would bestow a gift on Emma. "Alright, mother bear, I'll leave you your child, but-" he said enjoying the look of fear etched on Snow's face, "she will be mine before the sun sets on her eighteenth birthday, for it is on that day that Emma will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!" Rasputin cackled maniacally and vanished in another puff of smoke, leaving only a sulphurous stench behind him.

Now able to move freely once more, Snow urged Flittle, "Do something, please!" as the fairy was still to give Emma her gift. "And choose wisely," Charming reminded her. The Blue Fairy then flew over to the cradle, bowing her head down low, and whispered, "When the spindle pricks your finger that fateful day, you will not die, but instead you will fall into a deep enchanted slumber, from which you can only be woken by true love's kiss."

And so, just as Emma's young life had begun, it was fated to end before its time, lest a miracle could one day save her from her curse.

_To be continued..._

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**A/N: **Just as a sidenote, the character of Percy is based on Derek in "The Swan Princess." There will be more on his relationship with Emma, or lack thereof, in a later chapter (remember, this is a Captain Swan story!) I will go into Rasputin's backstory towards the end of this story as well. You will find out eventually why he did what he did. All I'll say for now, is that he has unexpected ties to the Charmings.


	7. No Damsel in Distress

**A/N: **This chapter is all about Emma as a teenager, frustrated at having grown up under so many restrictions for her own protection.

Please let me know what you think of the story so far! Taking a minute to do that makes all the difference for me. So, leave a review! :)

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**Chapter VI – No Damsel in Distress**

Being cursed was no laughing matter. From the moment Rasputin's curse was cast, the inhabitants of Everton Castle, as well as the guests, were in uproar. The celebratory mood came to an abrupt end; anxious wives clung to their husbands, imperial men scowled solemnly, their outrage barely concealed beneath their grim features, each of them bound by one single thought. Their minds were set. This Rasputin figure would not get away with his stunt. He would pay, and bigtime. What he had done was cruel, inhuman even. They would find a way to defeat him and offered their support and solace to the Charmings.

The royal guests who had travelled from afar to see the birth of a princess be celebrated, had instead witnessed an innocent baby girl be doomed to an enchanted, death-like sleep, which was to outlast all her living relatives, leaving Emma to wake up a hundred years from her eighteenth birthday, with no one left to love or cherish her – alone in the world. This was to be her fate if she didn't defeat Rasputin first.

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David felt his eyes glaze over. What had he just witnessed? Could this nightmare really be true? Had his daughter, his only little girl, his pride and joy, truly been sentenced to what basically could be equated to an untimely death? Would Emma be stolen from him and Snow before her time, gone forever once she came of age? What had he done to deserve this? What despicable act had he committed that would warrant such disdain towards his family?

"It's not your fault!" Snow told David sternly, reading his mind. "Do you hear me? He's a psychopath. This is not on you," she stroked his arm consolingly and David marvelled at the way she always knew what he was thinking.

"I know," David replied, realising his thoughts of self-blame had been irrational, but he couldn't prevent his grief from sucking him in like a massive black hole, an abyss of desperation. "But why can't we just be happy for once? Why is there always something, always someone standing in our way?" he asked Snow, a pleading undertone in his voice. He was half-dazed, barely able to stand upright.

Snow held him fast by her side, gripping his arm tightly. "We will get through this," she soothed. "We will find a way." Snow was determined to believe, to stay hopeful, because once she let even a faint glimmer of doubt cloud her mind, it would all be over. She would have no choice but to give in to the weight that was pushing her down if she gave up now; this weight, which was trying to subjugate her to its will - but she wouldn't let it. Snow wouldn't allow the doubts to creep in and fester inside her. There had to be a way around this. Even if it took everything out of her, Snow would never give in. Even if it meant she had to fight to the death, she would do everything in her power to protect her beloved Emma. No one would touch a hair on her daughter's head!

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"Rasputin...urgh! What an ugly name. He is a vile creature; repellent, like a hideous, lethal snake!" Flittle, the Blue Fairy, hissed in contempt during a royal congregation a month after the casting of the curse.

All the creatures of the forest who were on the Charming's side, all the townspeople who wanted to get involved in supporting Emma and all the courtiers and knights of Everton were gathered round an oval, mahogany table in the library of Everton Castle. They were there to discuss the precautions that needed to be taken in order to protect Emma. What they had agreed upon was that, not only should all the spinning wheels of the entire realm be burned, but a protection spell should be cast around the premises of the castle, possibly even the entire town, reaching as far out as the woods, known also as the "Enchanted Forest." Merlin was once again the man for the job. The warlock had once again obliged to help the Charmings at a further unconventional request.

As the other two fairies had been summoned to lend a helping hand in a crisis in Maravia, one of the other kingdoms of Aragon, it was the Blue Fairy who stepped up and took it upon herself to fly over Aragon on the lookout for any traces of Rasputin - but sadly, he was nowhere to be found. When Flittle came back from her outing, Snow noticed that the fairy had changed just ever so slightly. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the Blue Fairy must have been so shaken up by the events that had transpired in Everton Castle, that something had shifted in her personality. She was previously more reserved, but now wanted to be in the thick of it.

Flittle had even wished to make sure personally that Rasputin wasn't still lurking somewhere in Aragon. It had taken her three weeks to skim over the numerous little towns and vast spaces of countryside of Aragon; now flying high over unpopulated land, now soaring low to ask around if anyone had seen a lanky, papery-skinned, beastly looking man - a man so withered and pale, he faintly resembled a corpse.

However, all the Blue Fairy's efforts were in vain. That was why she later made it her personal responsibility to take care of Emma when she got back from her journey. Flittle would ensure personally that no harm came to the princess. Not only would she watch Emma's every move, but she would also teach Emma how to wield her magic. That was why Emma grew up under the close supervision, not only of her parents, but also of her guardian and personal protector, the Blue Fairy. She was Emma's guardian, governess and teacher all rolled into one. The Blue Fairy was also Emma's only and best friend. This thought made Emma despair. If only she could find a way to get out into the world!

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One rainy Sunday afternoon, Emma stared out of her French windows mournfully, the brims of her eyes crimson from all the crying she had done today. She was now sixteen years old and all she knew of the world was this room, this castle and the gardens outside.

_Not bad for a prisoner!_ thought Emma with contempt. At least she wasn't confined to one tiny cell, like Cora. That frightful woman had now been locked up for twenty odd years. That was a whole lifetime when you thought about it.

Compared to Cora, Emma was indeed very well off. She even had a balcony with a view of the castle gardens - but then again, she hadn't tried to kill anyone, had she? And despite the fact that Emma had never harmed a soul, she was still cooped up here in Everton Castle, forbidden to cross the invisible line drawn up around the estate and its premises.

Just like Cora, Emma was contained in this place by a magic spell cast by Merlin - only Emma was considered privileged, because she was allowed to go outside.

And yes, even though Emma appreciated the vast gardens that belonged to her family, she longed to climb the garden wall and to just run off to explore the world that lay beyond the castle grounds. The prospect of living a life on the run, falling into one adventure after another, excited Emma – but, sadly, she could only dream of travelling the world. Until she was eighteen, there was no chance of her ever seeing anything but the same old confining walls inside the castle and the same old birch trees and gorse bushes in the gardens. That was, of course, if she could somehow reverse this curse.

Emma had always wanted more. She needed more. How could she thrive, how could she become who she was meant to be, if she had to stay inside most of the time? The atmosphere in her room was stifling! Emma felt like she was withering away, stuck in this turret room. And whenever she was let loose outside, Emma was never left to her own devices. She was always accompanied by the Blue Fairy.

It was strictly forbidden for Emma to cross the grounds of Everton Castle, for what lay beyond them was too dangerous. The premises of Everton Castle lay at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, an area that was strictly off limits. Due to the protection spell cast around the castle premises, Emma wasn't able to go there, nor could she explore the town of Everton, let alone think about seeing the other kingdoms or foreign lands that lay out there.

This curse had forced Emma to grow up in isolation. How she wished she could go off one day and wander into unchartered territory! How she longed to finally be free! But freedom was not in the cards for Emma and never would be, not before her eighteenth birthday, anyway. And who knew if she would even live beyond that? Sometimes, Emma wished her life wasn't so damn complicated!

Best-case scenario, Emma would find a way to defeat Rasputin. Worst-case scenario, Emma would fall into a one hundred year's sleep or die. If Rasputin had had his way, Emma would have perished on her eighteenth birthday, but with Blue's help, she would "only" fall into an enchanted sleep, which was "only" to last one hundred years.

Although Emma was grateful to have been saved from Rasputin's initial plans for her, she still felt like her present curse was not much better. While Emma would have died beforehand, she would now sleep for a hundred years? Wasn't that sort of the same thing? According to Emma, not much of an improvement!

These days, people treated Emma like she had a terminal illness, telling her things like, "You'll fight this!" and "We believe in you!" While Emma did believe herself to be capable of winning against Rasputin, Emma hated these phony well-wishers.

The young princess would often make light of the fact that people were worried about her. It frustrated Emma to think about her future, or the possible lack thereof. And hearing people tell her how much they were rooting for her just made Emma feel worse, like she didn't stand a chance to begin with. If people really believed she could survive this curse, then why did they feel the need to constantly encourage her? Emma felt like a lost cause with no real purpose in life. She couldn't think about "the future," because hers was hanging in the balance. Sometimes Emma wondered how she had been capable of holding on to her sanity with all the restrictions she was placed under all these years, as if she were a ticking time bomb.

But Emma wasn't the one holding the reins. She felt like she didn't really have all that much control over the outcome. This curse couldn't really be fought, not even by burning all the spinning wheels or casting the most powerful of protection spells. This curse would take its course eventually, unless Rasputin gave Emma the opportunity to crush him. If he showed up here again, Emma would certainly do more than leave her mark. Even now, she was ready to end him. Although Emma wasn't inclined to killing, especially not the innocent, Rasputin didn't fall under that category. He was a bad seed and Emma needed to wipe him out for her own survival. If she had to choose between Rasputin and herself, she wouldn't hesitate one instant to choose herself.

When she was in a particularly cynical mood, like today, Emma would think it wouldn't make much of a difference if she carried a notice around her neck, saying _Fragile! Handle with care!_ For that was how Emma felt she was being dealt with anyway. All her childhood, Emma was treated with so much caution, she started to feel like she was made of glass and might break at the slightest touch_. _

People really seemed to think Emma might fall apart at any moment. Emma scoffed at this invasive thought. Fall apart? She would never! She was ready to fight for her life, ready to make Rasputin pay! But - Emma did have to admit that for all her strength and willingness to defend herself, she still felt helpless in a way. Was there even a chance of her withstanding this curse if she never encountered her adversary again? How would she be able to fight back, if Rasputin never showed up here again? The curse was cast and couldn't be reversed by anyone but Rasputin. Only with his death, would the curse die too.

Emma let out a fierce growl at the back of her throat, as she thought this. She would show him! She would show that tyrant what she was made of!


	8. Little White Swan

**A/N: **Please let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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**Chapter VII - Little White Swan**

Emma drew her strength from the faith her parents had in her. They had never doubted she was capable of defeating her curse for one second, and had made sure from the start that they had done everything in their power to prevent the sleeping curse from taking effect. The Charmings had attempted to rule out as many dangers as possible. Not only had they made sure there were no more spinning wheels in the realm of Aragon, they had also seen to it that Emma was constantly guarded by their trusted family friend, the Blue Fairy. Even though Emma had had to miss out on a normal childhood, her parents could at least rest assured that they had pulled out all the stops to ensure Emma's safety. Since they were royal, Snow and Charming were privileged enough to pull some strings and arm Emma with the necessary survival skills she might need to defend herself.

That was why, by the age of sixteen, Emma had the agility of a ballet dancer when she fought. She could wield a sword with an unforeseen grace for a girl her age. Her sword-fighting prowess was so distinguished because Emma started receiving combat lessons from a seasoned soldier when she was only twelve years old. While she used to see her fighting lessons as more of a sport's activity, Emma was now aware of the gravity of the situation. If Rasputin's curse didn't work, he might come back for her. She might need to fight to the death.

When Emma held the weight of a sword in her hand nowadays, she was so accustomed to holding a blade, that she didn't even feel it in her hand anymore. It was almost like the sword would become part of her when she gripped it, a mere extension of her arm. Emma had now become a warrior in her own right, and she was of course aware that she might not have a sword in hand when it came down to it, so she was also trained in hand to hand combat, learning all the most effective techniques. Emma had also learned to shoot an arrow with precision. All the target practice she had had to go through from such an early age had paid off in the end. She was equally accomplished at fencing, but even without any ammunition, Emma was more than capable of defending herself.

After a few years, however, Emma preferred to practice her sword-fighting with her father, as opposed to her teacher, as he was much easier to work with. Emma could be stubborn at times and her teacher had a tendency to lose his patience. Therefore, David soon took over the sword-fighting portion of Emma's lessons. Snow, too, was quite a tomboy in her time and would certainly have been more than capable to teach Emma a thing or two as well. The many afternoons she had spent with the seven dwarves had turned her into a tough cookie. Not only was she a lethal predator with a bow and arrow, Snow's sword-fighting skills were also excellent, which was why she used to be David's teacher when they were younger. But Snow found it difficult to watch Emma fight, as it reminded her of the reason why her daughter was learning to defend herself, why it was crucial that Emma knew how to battle. The alternative was that Emma might perish at the hands of Rasputin or one of his minions, if the curse didn't take her first.

Snow used to escape to the woods many a time to visit the dwarves. Over the years, she had learned to love the hunt. She used to feel exhilarated when perching in a tree, ready to pounce, but nowadays all Snow could think about was Emma's future. While Snow could have taught her daughter to sword-fight, the sight of Emma wielding a weapon brought forth thoughts of Emma dying before her time. Snow couldn't face the reality of the situation: that Emma's life was in jeopardy. The better she learned to defend herself, the more her chances of surviving past her eighteenth birthday improved, but Snow thought it better to leave that part of Emma's education to her husband.

With all of Emma's training, being defeated in combat became less and less likely. In addition to all this, the Blue Fairy was responsible for Emma's general education and her lessons in magic. Due to all this extra training, which Emma had to do in addition to her school work, Emma hardly had any free time at all growing up. This weighed heavily on Emma's mind, but although even Emma wasn't free of faults and had her moments of doubt, she would never let her fear cripple her. That didn't mean, however, that Emma was a happy child. She had far too many things to worry about to be carefree, which was why she was quite serious from an early age on.

On the one hand, Emma felt obligated to try her best to prepare for her own survival and do as was expected of her, but on the other hand, Emma only wanted one thing: to escape. She was torn between her desire for freedom and her duty to her kingdom and family, and ultimately, to herself.

Nevertheless, up until the age of twelve, Emma had a fairly normal childhood - at least for a princess. When she was only five years old, Emma's rebellious nature had not surfaced yet. She was still quite sweet-tempered, oblivious to the danger lurking in her future. As soon as she discovered her gift to talk to animals, Emma was so excited that she couldn't help but put her ability to the test. Very soon, it became a habit of Emma's to head down to Silver Lake, which was still on the castle grounds, so she could talk to the family of swans that lived there. Emma seemed so in tune with herself when she did this, as if it were when she felt most like herself. This gift of Emma's was a very strange one, entirely unique in the realm of Aragon, but the possible value of it was not lost on anyone who had seen Emma by the lake. She might later be able to use this gift to her advantage.

As a young girl, Emma loved to spend as much time as possible outdoors. It seemed like being amongst flora and fauna was her natural element. After Emma had been outside, she veritably glowed with joy and exuded harmony wherever she went. Although she had to stay within the confinement of the gardens around Everton Castle, Emma was happiest in nature, but she was never allowed to head outside on her own. The Blue Fairy was Emma's constant protector.

Because of Emma's regular habit of communicating with the swans, which quickly became her favourite animal, Emma was soon nicknamed "Little Swan." Particularly her father had taken to calling her this, as he thought there could be no other name more befitting to Emma's nature and swan-like appearance. Even at the tender age of five, Emma was radiantly beautiful, her shiny golden-blonde hair flowing down to her midriff, her eyes shining like jade diamonds. She was a picture of beauty with her pure skin as white as snow, which ran in her mother's gene pool.

As she got older, the princess' parents went back to calling her "Emma," but her old nickname stuck with Emma when it came to the castle staff. They all called her "Miss Swan," instead of "Miss White," which was her real last name. Emma actually preferred this, because she thought her family name, "White," somehow sounded bland and boring, whereas, "Swan," had an elegant ring to it. Collectively, her family was often called "the Charmings," because of Snow's nickname for David and their general charisma. Somehow, this name seemed like it was made for them.

At the same time as Emma began learning to fight, her magic lessons also started, but it was around the age of thirteen that Emma let her stubborn streak shine. About a year into learning how to control her magical abilities, whose depths at that stage were still unknown, Emma found this activity to be tiresome and often used to wail "This is no fun!" to Blue, but the fairy was resilient to Emma's complaints, so the young princess soon had no other choice but to give in. It wasn't that Emma wasn't disciplined; it was more that her rebellious streak, which she had no doubt inherited from Snow, made it increasingly difficult for Emma to follow orders.

Plus, learning to control her magic was quite a strenuous activity for Emma, as it seemed to drain her of all her energy. It also generally frustrated Emma to grow up under so many restrictions. Sometimes she could just scream, but she kept those feelings bottled up. Riding her stallion, Pegasus, soon became a form of therapy for Emma. She was thankful that she was able to go outside from time to time. If she didn't have her morning rides with her beloved Pegasus, Emma was sure she would burst due all the emotions she would otherwise keep welled up inside her. When Emma practically flew across the gardens on her horse, her hair sweeping behind her like a long golden mane, Emma got a taste of what freedom felt like. Riding Pegasus was like flying, an experience so exhilarating that Emma was able to leave all her troubles behind her for a brief moment in time.

Not only did it fill Emma with anger to think of the monster that had burdened her with his curse, the princess also felt deeply confused, often losing herself in her imagination, as she attempted to think of a reason why Rasputin had targeted her family. Why had she been singled out? Emma couldn't figure it out, but she knew that should she ever meet the beast, she wouldn't hesitate to go for the kill. Rasputin - or Blackbeard, as he used to call himself - was evil. And evil needed to be eradicated.

But despite the pressure Emma was under all her young life, it soon became clear that Emma was a child prodigy, for her magical abilities were more powerful than anyone had expected. That was why nobody doubted she would become one of the strongest wielders of magic in all of Everton, maybe even the entire land of Aragon when she grew up. Emma's reputation preceded her from a very early age on. She was a bright, talented young girl whose future looked quite hopeful, considering her circumstances. Her father was especially proud of her and neither of her parents ever lost faith that Emma would vanquish Rasputin when the time came. She would fight this curse and she would surely win. The Charmings had to tell themselves this, as even the thought of Emma lying motionless on her bed was unbearable. She had to make it through. She just had to. It was a matter of life and death.


	9. The Silver Talisman

**Chapter VIII – The Silver Talisman**

_**The Realm of Aragon**_

**July 22, 2001  
**

Emma awoke in a cold sweat three months before the coming of her curse. She had had nightmares about Rasputin for weeks now - months even - but this one had been even more life-like, even more fear-inducing than usual. It was always the image of Rasputin's face that haunted Emma, but this time it had been grossly contorted; Rasputin's nostrils flaring, his eyes blazing red as blood, his pupils black as night, his mouth gaping wide open in an ear-splitting shriek. This nightmare had been the worst of them yet.

The image of Rasputin's evil face was now still seared into Emma's brain as she untangled herself from her bed sheets. She must have been tossing and turning all night. Emma got up hesitantly after a moment of just lying motionless in bed. It was harder and harder to drag herself out of bed these days, but Emma always found a way in the end when she thought of her mother, Snow, who represented the comfort and safety of home to her. It was mainly for her mother that Emma pulled through and started her day. Because of having grown up under a curse, Emma's bond with her mother was unshakeable, something which most likely wouldn't have developed in such a heightened form if Emma had grown up without her impending doom looming ominously ahead.

Emma had to keep moving. She couldn't let this curse defeat her. It had already stolen half her life from her. Her whole existence was planned around this curse, shaped by the preparation that went into making Emma as mentally and physically strong as possible. But no one could shield her from the terror lurking in her subconscious. Underneath her armour, underneath all the walls Emma had put up and all the skills she had acquired, she was still just a scared little girl who wanted to live in peace. She was no warrior, no enchantress, just a girl who wished for normalcy. But there was no rest for Emma's mind, not even at night. The fears she suppressed during the day only came out in more vivid colours in her nightmares.

After willing herself to get up, Emma sat by her bedside, jerking her head from side to side, as if to ward off the gruesome image of Rasputin's face. She slipped into her navy blue kimono, the cool silky smooth material caressing her skin, and was greeted by the morning sunlight streaming into her turret bedroom when she drew the curtains open. Emma was blinded momentarily, blinking dazedly as she opened the French windows and stepped onto her tiny balcony to take in the view. It was the morning of a hot summer's day in July, but even the sight of the blooming cherry trees and the deep green leaves of the oak trees and evergreens, could only offer Emma momentary happiness. She enjoyed the moment none the less, glancing down from her ivory tower in silent contentment, letting the wind blow her long golden hair back. This was as close to bliss as Emma came these days.

"Emma? You up?" came a hushed voice from outside her door.

"Yes, Mom. I'm out here!" Emma replied.

Snow entered the room and floated towards Emma, as if she weighed no more than a feather.

"Good morning, darling!" Snow gave her daughter a hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning, Mom," Emma smiled weakly.

"How are you holding up?" asked Snow, her concern etched onto her forehead in a crinkled frown.

"I'm alright," sighed Emma, "Had another nightmare last night, though."

"Aww! You poor thing!" Snow squeezed Emma again in a slightly too tight embrace.

"Too hard Mom," Emma winced.

Snow giggled, "Sorry, love," gently drawing away from Emma, "Was it the usual?"

"Yes, but somehow much worse. His face…I just can't get rid of his face. He's always there like a ghost or something."

Snow rubbed Emma's back to soothe her, then said briskly, "Well, you know what the best thing for you right now is?"

"Hmm…Let me see," Emma pretended to guess, but she already knew the answer. There was only one cure-all that Snow suggested no matter the problem. "Hot chocolate with cinnamon?" Emma beamed. When she was sick as a child, the first thing Snow had made for Emma was always hot chocolate with a cinnamon stick.

"It's a known remedy for forgetting fearsome nightmares and lightening the spirits," said Snow in what Emma called her "story-telling voice." Snow had always used quaint, old-fashioned language when recounting fairy tales, and that was the voice she was speaking in now.

"Fearsome nightmares?" Emma laughed heartily, "Well, if you say so, Mom."

Hearing herself laugh caught Emma off guard. She hadn't laughed in so long; her face would probably ache tomorrow. Emma smiled at this thought. She could only wish that having sore muscles was the least of her problems, but Emma couldn't laugh in the face of what irked her. She couldn't laugh about the agony and fear she went through every day when she thought of how much pain she was inflicting on her family because of Rasputin. Emma knew her mother needed these moments of banter they shared to make up for all her worry.

"Yes, I say so!" Snow said in mock earnest. "But you have to believe, Emma! That's the magic of hot chocolate."

"You should be the spokesperson for hot chocolate," Emma chuckled. Believing in yourself was everything according to Snow. She always told Emma that no matter which evil they faced, if they truly believed that things would get better, they would.

"Come downstairs for breakfast as soon as you're ready," Snow said turning round, "–or wait," she stopped in her tracks, "I have a better idea. I'll bring you your hot chocolate. I have something for you, anyway," Snow said mysteriously.

"Oh, a gift? I'm intrigued…" Emma grinned at her mother.

"Yes, a little something I've been meaning to give you for a while. I just haven't found the right moment yet."

When Snow had headed downstairs again, Emma wondered what her mother meant as she freshened up and got dressed in her riding gear. Going for a ride in the mornings was a must for Emma these days, and Pegs - Emma's nickname for Pegasus - needed the exercise too. Emma would be able clear her head outside and maybe win back some self-confidence.

When Emma had washed and dressed (she didn't bother about make-up these days), she walked over to her silver-rimmed full-length mirror by her wardrobe to straighten her shirt and tie her hair in a ponytail. But the girl staring back at Emma didn't look like a seventeen year-old. She looked like she had lived through many heartbreaks, sleepless nights and constant fear. The girl staring back at her was beautiful, yes, but her radiance was diminished by what she had lived through. Emma scowled at her reflection in dissatisfaction, but then decided it wasn't worth it. Maybe one day, she would get rid of this frown, but that day was not today.

When there was a knock at the door, Emma knew her mother had returned. A steaming mug of hot-chocolate in her hand, Snow came into the room and placed the mug on Emma's desk. "Here you go, love."

"Thanks, Mom," Emma smiled.

"Alright, now for your present," Snow said, drawing a silver necklace with a small charm attached to it from her trouser pocket. "I have kept this talisman to give to you for a long time. It was my own mother's before it was mine and now I want you to have it."

"Oh, Mom," Emma gasped, her eyes pricking hotly with unshed tears. "Thank you so much!" Emma began crying in earnest now, as she gripped her mother tightly. "Okay, now you're squeezing me," coughed Snow. "Oh, sorry!" Emma laughed. "That seems to run in the family."

"Ha! Yes, you may be right about that," Snow laughed, but quickly turned serious again. "Let me put it on." As Snow placed the talisman around Emma's neck and mother and daughter stood in front of the mirror, Emma saw that the charm was, in fact, a small crystal embedded swan. "Oh!" she breathed. "Yes," said Snow knowingly. "It's a swan."

"Wow, Mom! Thank you!" Emma gushed.

"It's a little swan for _my_ little swan – or my now grown swan, I should say. You're no longer our little girl, you're all grown up! And look how beautiful you have become, my darling. But you'll always be my little swan. You know that, don't you?" Snow sniffed and wiped away a tear that was now trickling down her cheek.

"Oh, Mom! I don't know what to say," Emma sobbed, turning around to place her head on Snow's shoulder.

After they had stood there for a while and had had a moment to compose themselves, Snow continued urgently, "But wait, there's more!" Emma locked eyes with Snow at her mother's words, clutching the little swan pendant. "This is a talisman," Snow said, pointing at the swan necklace. "That means, it carries magic. You may need to use it one day when you need to flee from here, but it's for emergency cases only. Don't hesitate to use it, though, if you start to feel unsafe."

"Unsafe? What do you mean? What does it do?" Emma inquired; hanging onto her mother's every word.

"Well, it -" Snow began, but the both of them were rudely interrupted when the Blue Fairy barged into Emma's bedchamber. She strolled towards them innocently, but her sudden entrance seemed all-too convenient to Snow. She had had her suspicions about Blue for a while now and wasn't at all sure whether she could still trust her anymore. It was as if the closer Emma's curse drew, the more Blue was filled with glee, barely concealed beneath her feigned concern. Because of Snow's mistrust of Blue, she fell silent instantly when the fairy was within earshot. She wasn't sure whether she could talk freely in front of her. Snow had had a gut feeling that Blue was hiding something for a few weeks now, but she had decided a while ago not to raise the alarm, in case that would either offend Blue or turn her against them. That was why Snow pretended like nothing was wrong now, only giving Emma's shoulder a light squeeze before slowly heading for the door.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Blue apologetically. "I hope I didn't interrupt a mother-daughter moment?" she inquired sweetly.

"I'm afraid so, Blue, but I'll talk to Emma later, don't you worry," said Snow, a threatening undertone darkening her voice. After a brief moment of hesitation, Snow left the room pursing her lips. What Snow didn't know, was that later would never come, because from that moment onwards the Blue Fairy never seemed to leave Emma's side. She was Emma's guardian, yes, but she usually left Emma a little privacy from time to time. Now it seemed like she was sticking to Emma like glue.

Was she behaving this way because she wanted to make sure Emma wasn't harmed now that her curse was so close at hand, or was there more to it? Did Blue, indeed, have something to hide? And what was the talisman actually for? What did it all mean? Emma had seen her mother's reaction to Blue's presence and was filled with dread. Her head was brimming with questions, but she hardly had the time to hazard any guesses now, because she had a long day of riding, fencing and sword-fighting ahead of her. At least that way she might be able to forget that horrible nightmare of Rasputin, which seemed to grow ever more terrifying each night and robbed her of the good night's sleep she desperately needed now more than ever. Time was of the essence, and the little time Emma had left was slowly but surely running out.


	10. The Uncharming Prince

**A/N: **Hey guys! I'm back with a new chapter. I'm trying to write more regularly now, but I can't promise to keep it up. I have thought through the story a few chapters ahead, though. So, it shouldn't take too long for me to update. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think! Your reviews really motivate me! If you have any ideas you'd like to share with me, you're welcome to do so. :)

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**Chapter IX - The Uncharming Prince**

**_The Realm of Aragon_**

**July**** 22, 2001**

Later that day, Emma waited under her favourite oak tree for Percy to arrive for their fencing match. She didn't enjoy waiting, especially not for Percy, and she didn't particularly like the fact that he came over to see her so often. But, like so many other things in her life, Emma had to grin and bear it.

Percy was always hanging around these days. He never let Emma out of his sight when he came to visit, which aggravated Emma immensely. No matter what she did, how persuasive she was or how badly she treated him, Percy simply wouldn't let go, even though they weren't a very good fit. Percy was blustering and pompous, obnoxious and dogmatic; Emma was subtle and gentle, quiet and benevolent. She had her own stubborn streak, no doubt, but she was diplomatic, very much enjoying a good discussion, whereas Percy was unwilling to accept other people's opinions, nor patient enough to try putting himself in other people's shoes.

While she sat there, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze gently tickling her skin, Emma gazed out at Silver Lake where the swans were gliding side by side in peaceful tranquillity and Pegasus was grazing nearby. It was an idyllic setting, one which gave Emma space to think. She wondered what her life would have been like if she were "normal." Up until the age of ten, Emma hadn't seen her life as being particularly unusual, but that was before she realised what she was missing out on. It was around that time that Percy's visits had started, the only visits Emma had ever received from someone from the outside world, and, instead of being a welcome distraction to Emma, Percy had been a pest from the very beginning.

He had received a magical brass ring, the only one of its kind, with which he could cross through the protection spell. He was meant to visit Emma regularly, so they would have a chance to really get to know each other, but Emma couldn't stand Percy. He was the one who had made her aware of how isolated she really was, recounting tales of his walks through the golden meadows near his castle and, as he got older, he told her of his excursions into the Enchanted Forest, something which he knew Emma had always longed to see. He could have been subtler about mentioning the outside world to Emma, but Percy had never been very empathetic or subtle about anything. Emma was aware of Percy's flaws of character now, but when she was still so very young, she took it all to heart, feeling like it was somehow her fault that she was imprisoned in her own home.

Percy always laid it on thick, exaggerating for effect. When he was younger, Percy didn't seem to be aware of how badly his bragging nature came across, but although he was too blissfully ignorant to mean any harm, his character didn't change with age. Instead of maturing, he was still an infantile, clingy, pompous prat, who had seemingly taken a great liking to Emma – worse luck! No matter how much Emma showed her annoyance, Percy seemed to believe that underneath all her obvious dislike for him, she loved him back.

But Emma couldn't find anything to like, let alone love, about Percy. He wasn't the man she was looking for, nor did she believe Percy was even capable of loving anyone outside himself. He was so self-involved that he probably only liked the idea of being with Emma, not the real thing. Emma had long since drawn the conclusion that Percy might just be too dim-witted to realise how wrong they were for each other, but still, he refused to give up. He was relentless in his pursuit of Emma. But all she saw in Percy was a superficial, stoic, simpleton, when what she wanted was precisely the opposite. Emma wished she could find someone who could sweep her off her feet. But it wasn't as if Emma had much of a choice. It was either Percy or nobody, unless she could somehow persuade her parents to change their minds.

Her potential marriage to Percy was only a hypothetical idea anyway, for it was meant to take place after her curse was defeated – that was, _if_ her curse was defeated. But nobody seemed to be thinking about the possibility that Rasputin might come back for her, that he would somehow find a way around the impenetrable shielding charm. What if he found a way to get in? What if he already had a plan in place to break through the invisible wall around Everton Castle? Emma wouldn't put it past him. He seemed psychotic, first being solely responsible for the beginning of the Ogre's war, then turning from pirate to evil villain? Did he have some sort of identity disorder? Crazy didn't seem to cover it. Because of Emma's belief that Rasputin had plans in store for her, plans to end her, she felt as if she was frozen in place. She couldn't really live in the present and enjoy her life, but she couldn't think about the future either, because who knew if she would even have one?

"Hey Ems!" Percy yelled across the gardens, tearing Emma out of her reverie. "Are you ready to play?" _Oh, man! Couldn't he just have cancelled for once?_ Emma hated the way he called her "Ems," as if they were best buddies, so comfortable with each other that they could use nicknames. Emma's intuitive reaction was to call Percy by his full name to re-establish some of the distance between them.

She reluctantly replied, "Hello _Percival_!" emphasising his name to make her point. _They were not friends!_

"Do I have a choice?" Emma asked, sighing.

"Let's go then! I can't wait to kick your ass!" said Percy.

"Excuse me? Kick _my_ ass? I'm the only one doing the ass-kicking, thank you very much!" Emma laughed mirthlessly.

"We'll see," said Percy, pointing his blade at Emma warningly.

"En garde!" Emma shouted after putting on her mask, lunging at Percy without holding back. Of course, they were only pretend-fighting, but Emma had to act like she would were it the real thing. She took a step back, swinging her sword deftly in a distracting motion. Percy's eyes were locked on hers and they attacked each other again, and again, and again, their swords criss-crossing in mid-air above their heads, then below. Their swords clashed time and again, as they battled it out, until Emma's blade touched Percy's chest. "Touché!" she cried out victoriously. But she hadn't won yet. They kept on fighting for the next half hour, attack after attack, until they were both out of breath.

Emma beat Percy by two points, crying out gleefully, "Yes! I'm the winner!" She punched the air in triumph. Emma had schooled Percy, whipping him about the ears with her sword. He couldn't keep up with her, now panting violently while he stood bent over, his face down, leaning his hands on his knees.

"Alright, alright!" he retorted, slightly miffed. "We get it! But I practically let you win, you know. I was off my game today, because of my sore knee."

"Excuses, excuses!" sang Emma dancing around him, exultant.

"Okay, okay. You can stop now. I'll get you next time!"

"Sure you will. You know the whole point of this is to keep me in shape, right? It's not about your wounded ego."

Percy scowled childishly. "I think you don't need to learn to fight. Girls shouldn't be fighting like men. I could be your protector."

"Oh, c'mon! Really? You can't be serious! You don't really believe in that outdated worldview, do you?" Emma exclaimed in dismay. But this was Percy to the core, a misogynistic little whatsit. "Well, when it comes to you, I do," he replied. "You shouldn't have to go through all this training. It's not right."

"I'm sure you mean well, but that doesn't change my situation. And I don't need you to save me, Percy. I can fend for myself." And with that, Emma headed inside, Percy in close pursuit of her with cries of "I didn't mean to offend you! Emma! Wait for me!" But Emma ignored him. If he was going to act like she wasn't capable of defending herself, he wasn't worth her time. She had tried to forgive his insensitivity many times before, but he never changed. He embodied the very cliché of what was referred to as "Prince Charming," but he was far from it. In fact, Emma had a new nickname for him. He was Prince _Uncharming_. As if she couldn't live without him! As if she needed a man to feel complete! Nonsense! All she wanted was her parents to keep on supporting her and for all this madness to finally come to an end. She didn't need a prince, charming or not, to come and rescue her.

As Emma walked towards the white castle before her, she briefly glanced upwards, as she saw a raven flying overhead, and, as her gaze followed the bird's flight, Emma caught a glimpse of Blue standing by an upstairs window. Emma raised her hand in a wave, but dropped it again when she realised Blue wasn't looking outside. It looked like she was talking to someone, wrapped up in a conversation with someone with longish dark hair.

Emma couldn't recognise who it was from this distance. Maybe it was her mother, Snow, who Blue was talking to, but Emma was too far away to be able to tell. Who else _could _it be? Maybe hearing her mother's cold tone with Blue this morning had made Emma see a ghost. Why should Blue be up to no good? Maybe it had all been a trick of the light...

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**A/N:** Now that you've come this far, please review! Thank you very much to those who have already done so! I appreciate your support. :)


	11. Enemy in Disguise

**A/N:** I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am currently planning out the next one, but it'll need some more work, as we are now getting closer to the showdown. Please let me know what you think in the comment section below!

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**Chapter X – Enemy in Disguise**

Once Emma had let her doubts about Blue creep in, they left her feeling restless and uncertain. She had always seen the fairy as her personal adviser, her closest friend and her protector, but now Emma wasn't so sure if Blue was on her side at all. Why had her mother spoken so rudely to Blue last month? The coldness Snow had shown towards Blue had persisted since that said day exactly five weeks ago. She had stopped treating the fairy as trustworthy, keeping her at arm's length. But why was her mother being so secretive as to why she wasn't confiding in Blue anymore, and why hadn't she told Emma to follow suit? Maybe Snow felt it was better to leave Emma out of it, so as not to scare her? Or perhaps Snow hadn't clued Emma in, so that Blue wouldn't be alerted to the fact that Snow mistrusted her. But if that were true, it could truly mean that Blue was dangerous. When Emma had tried talking to her mother, she had shut down, not letting Emma in, acting as if there was nothing to worry about.

"What do you mean, I'm behaving oddly?" Snow had asked Emma, a hint of agitation in her voice. "Just because I'm not telling Blue all my secrets, doesn't mean she can't be trusted. I've merely decided that I ought to be more careful, even with the castle staff."

Snow had told Emma it was all just another protective measure to make sure no information was leaked outside the castle grounds. Emma thought this was a little alarmist. They were shut off from the outside world for all intents and purposes. Nobody could leave the grounds and the only time the protective veil was partially lifted, was for the weekly deliveries of fresh produce. Charming's father was responsible for the deliveries, and even his food rations were thoroughly checked for any magical qualities, in case they had been charmed or hexed. So, with all these protective measures in place, why had Snow suddenly decided to exclude Blue from her "circle of trust," as it were? All of this was a mystery to Emma, but she thought it would be better to go about her business as normal, as opposed to running scared. But she would certainly keep a watchful eye on Blue. If there was a conspiracy going on, Emma would rather be safe than sorry.

Apart from being more cautious, however - if that was even possible - Emma went about her daily routine as per usual, continuing her daily magic lessons with Blue and treating her as she had done beforehand. But even though Emma did her best during her lessons, she didn't confide in Blue as much as she had done before, never revealing her true feelings or her innermost fears. You could never be too sure.

During today's lesson, Emma had decided she wanted to practice one of the spells she didn't feel too confident she could execute: a cloaking spell.

"Could we go over that one again?" Emma asked Blue now, as they stood in the ballroom, the only establishment that offered enough space to practice, but very few furnishings to ruin when spells went awry.

Blue showed Emma the hand movements again, telling her, "You need to raise your arm up like this and swipe it from left to right in one smooth motion, then draw a circle around the object you want to cloak. Repeat this motion three times. If you want to cloak yourself, just draw a circle above your head, like this," said Blue, demonstrating the gesture. To Emma's immense delight, the spell worked immediately.

"You've vanished!" she exclaimed, staring at the spot where Blue had stood just a second ago. And just as quickly as Blue had disappeared, she popped up again a few feet further back from her previous position.

"There! Easy!" Blue said, now approaching Emma. She continued to explain, "While you're drawing a circle, you need to think the enchantment 'Incantare protegum' at the same time. This spell needs to be cast silently." Blue motioned towards Emma. "Now you," she urged her.

Emma tried the spell out on herself, not succeeding at first, but after several attempts, finding herself staring through a thin layer of what could only be described as a see-through veil. That was when Emma was certain she had done something right. The caster of the cloaking spell always found himself surrounded by a thin cloak - hence the name of the spell. To the outside world, Emma had now vanished completely, as if she had disappeared into thin air. After a few more hours of practice, Emma felt proud of herself for having accomplished yet another, potentially very useful spell. In these uncertain times, she needed as much knowledge for her own protection as she could possibly gather.

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The coming weeks went by in a blur. The closer Emma's eighteenth birthday drew, the faster the days seemed to go by. She became increasingly desperate for time to slow down until she suddenly found herself with only one more week left until the coming of her curse, which was to hit on October 22.

How had time gone by so fast? All her life, Emma had been preparing for this one moment, all the while thinking that moment might never come, and now the danger she was in felt more real than ever. After all this time, her life might actually come to an end in only seven days.

When Emma had tried talking to her mother about Blue the last time, she had made it clear that Emma wasn't to worry, and Emma hadn't dared to broach the subject again since. But her mother had now been acting very strange since last week. Instead of keeping her distance from Blue, she had gone back to her usual banter with the fairy. Emma wondered why her mother had shown such a sudden change of heart. She generally seemed more tranquil, more at ease, as if she had been sedated. What on Earth was going on? It was the same with her father and everyone around Emma. Nobody had shown any signs of their usual concern for Emma, nobody had felt the need to console or motivate her. Why was the whole castle suddenly acting so strangely?

When Snow's mother suggested to Emma one day, that she thought it would be fun to throw a ball only a day before Emma's eighteenth birthday, Emma knew there was something fishy going on. Everyone couldn't suddenly have gone mad at the same time. Her mother would never dream of suggesting throwing a ball a mere day before Emma's curse was meant to hit. It would mean sending out invitations and thousands of guests streaming into the castle. It would mean, in short, lifting the protection spell, so the guests could enter the castle grounds.

When Emma tried talking her mother out of it, she only replied, "But darling, don't you want to experience your first ball? Aren't you excited?" Emma could only conclude that her mother was under some sort of spell, and if she was, the whole castle staff must be bewitched. There was only one person Emma could think of who was to blame for this – Blue. What was the fairy up to? Why was she working against her? It was only three months ago that Snow had given Emma the silver talisman. Snow's words of warning were now still ringing in Emma's ears.

_You may need to use it one day when you need to flee from here, but it's for emergency cases only. Don't hesitate to use it, though, if you start to feel unsafe._

Snow had said Emma should use the necklace if she began to feel "unsafe," as if Snow had known that day would come. Emma no longer felt safe in her own home, because if her suspicions were correct, then the time had now come to make use of her skills and to trust in her abilities. Now was a time to trust no one but herself.

So Emma hatched a plan. On the night of her birthday ball, she would run away and seek refuge with the seven dwarves, as they were good friends of the family. She would write to them immediately not to come to the ball, not even to open the invitations, and she would slip away while Blue was distracted and everyone was occupied with dancing. She hoped there would be a moment when Blue wasn't watching her every move. As Emma felt she could no longer trust anyone in the castle, she thought it best to run away to the dwarves' hut, as they had always been Snow's closest allies and might know more as to the purpose of the swan necklace.

Emma would figure out the next step once she had succeeded in getting out of here. If her whole family was now under a spell, it was more vital than ever to beat her curse and to step up to the name people had only called her in hushed whispers when she was an infant. Emma would have to step up to become who she was meant to be, the role she had meant to take on from the day she was born. She must become the_ Saviour_.


	12. A Tale of Two Dragons

**A/N:** This is a chapter full of backstory for the villains. You will find out the Jabberwocky's involvement in the story and her connection to Maleficent, as well as Rasputin's connection to her. I hope you will be left enlightened after this chapter and not completely confused. I had to draw up a timeline for this story, because otherwise I couldn't keep track of all the story threads. If you feel you need an overview, here are a few important dates relevant to this chapter:

**-The Ogre's War went from 1865 - 1875. The Queen at the time was Queen Millicent White (Leopold's cousin). She lived until 1978, because she becomes immortal. She strikes a deal with Rasputin after the Ogre's War, living until the age of 149.**

**-King Leopold's father's name was Richard. His mother's name was Linda. King Richard was crowned king after Queen Millicent abdicated the throne in 1893.**

**-King Leopold is born in 1913. Queen Eva is born in 1935. (Yes, he is 22 years older than Eva. I thought he should be a good bit older, as I got that impression on the show).**

**-Present day is 2001 (I wanted Emma to be 28 in 2011, like on the original show). Emma is currently 17 years old. She will turn 18 in a day's time, on October 22nd, 2001.**

If anything isn't clear, please let me know. I'm happy to clarify! I know I have woven a complicated web here, but I was only trying to make things more interesting. I hope they didn't turn out too complicated. ;) I'd like to know what you thought, whatever the case may be.

Please leave a review! :)

Much love,

Dreamatorium

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**Chapter XI – A Tale of Two Dragons**

Blue stretched lazily in bed the morning before Emma's birthday. "Only one more day!" she thought to herself gleefully. At last, her patience would be rewarded and she would finally get what she had been waiting for all these years. She would become the most powerful sorceress in all the realms, powerful enough to take back her rightful place as the leader of the Royal Guard in Wonderland, serving her majesty the Queen of Hearts. The Jabberwocky had been posing as the Blue Fairy since Emma's birth. She was an impostor.

The Jabberwocky had used a glamour spell to impersonate Blue after Emma's birthday celebration. Almost eighteen years ago now, the Jabberwocky had sought Blue out while the fairy was journeying across the realm in search of Rasputin. The Jabberwocky had caught Blue off guard when disguised as a villager, and had turned Blue into a porcelain figurine. The Jabberwocky had chosen Blue due to her trusted position in the castle, her meek nature making it easy to fool her. When the other two fairies, Thistletwit and Knotgrass, had come looking for Blue, the Jabberwocky had given them the same treatment, turning them into figurines as well. All three of them made for very pretty ornaments, thought the Jabberwocky with a hint of malice, as she admired them now. The three fairy figurines now stood on the Jabberwocky's bedside table, the three of them standing huddled side by side, holding hands, a look of despair etched on their little faces. "How amusing!" the Jabberwocky muttered to herself, "They only wish they could warn little Emma now, don't they? But they can't. Nobody can."

As the Jabberwocky now hopped out of bed, still in the body of the Blue Fairy, she felt a tingling in her fingertips. The anticipation was driving her mad. She was so excited to finally be able to shed this horrible fairy skin and unveil her true self to the world. They would all finally see the glorious dragon that she truly was! The Jabberwocky also had a female human form she could turn into, but she much preferred her more beastly nature. To the outside world, however, she was still the Blue Fairy at present, and as such, she now walked over to the mirror by her window and began her summoning spell. She had been communicating with Rasputin via the mirror since the very beginning. She liked to think of herself as a spy or an undercover agent in the White household.

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During her time in Wonderland, before a little blonde girl named Alice had stolen her powers, the Jabberwocky had still held a position of honour as the leader of the Royal Guard and was the personal adviser of the Queen of Hearts. Back then, the Jabberwocky was known as the Queen's most lethal weapon, doing her bidding and scaring the denizens of Wonderland into submission. The Jabberwocky had still held a position of honour in those days, but after the Queen of Hearts had been overruled by Alice and was exiled to the Drylands, a desert at the edge of Wonderland, the Jabberwocky was cast out. But now her time had come! The Jabberwocky would rise again, bringing the Queen of Hearts back to her rightful position on the throne as Queen of Wonderland, standing by her side once more.

All the Jabberwocky had to do was steal Emma's powers – powers that had the potential for greatness. She would do so tonight at the ball. All it took was hexing something Emma would touch or wear. After a few hours, Emma's magic would have run dry, completely absorbed by the object in question. The Jabberwocky had decided she would place a hex on a diadem, which Emma was to wear at her ball. Without Emma noticing, her powers would be drained from her every pore.

Over the years, the Jabberwocky had made sure Emma stayed humble, unawares of her potential strength, but she had also seen to it that Emma's powers would grow and thrive, so they would be ripe for the picking once Emma's curse finally hit.

After being cast out of Wonderland, the Jabberwocky had needed to find a way to get her powers back. As a dragon without magical abilities, she was forced to hide away, otherwise she would surely have been hunted down. One day, she came across the realm of Maravia, where the many mountain ranges offered an ideal hideout for a dragon. Maravia also used to be the home of Aurora and was the origin of the three fairies: Flittle (the Blue Fairy, also known as "Blue"), Knotgrass (the Pink Fairy) and Thistletwit (the Green Fairy).

The Jabberwocky had taken refuge there, hiding away in a mountain range until she had come across a dangerous place where no one dared go, a place she had only heard of by word of mouth where a powerful sorceress lived. It was called the "Forbidden Mountain." It was there that the Jabberwocky headed one day when she felt she had to break out of her isolation. Hearing of this sorceress, whose name was "Maleficent," gave the Jabberwocky the hope she needed to have faith in herself again. This was her chance to get her powers back. Maybe she could strike some sort of a deal with this witch. And indeed, after the Jabberwocky met Maleficent, the two of them became like sisters. They hit it off immediately. When Maleficent was in need of a friend after her attempt at cursing Aurora had failed, the Jabberwocky was there for her. In turn, Maleficent shared some of her magic powers with the Jabberwocky, so she was able to take on any form she liked, and turn back into a human at will.

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Maleficent herself had not always been a dragon either. Her true name was Queen Millicent White, an ancestor of King Leopold's. In fact, she was his cousin, but Leopold believed her to have died a long time ago in 1909, thirty nine years after the Ogre's War ended in 1875. That was now 126 years ago, but Maleficent had lived much longer, dying at the hands of Prince Charming in 1978 when she was around 150 years old. But it was after the Ogre's War in 1875 that Maleficent (or Queen Millicent White in those days), had struck a deal with Rasputin. Still going by the moniker of "Blackbeard" back in the day, Rasputin used to be a ferocious pirate of the High Seas. On one of his journeys, he had encountered an evil witch who went by the name of "The Lady of the Green Kirtle" who had offered him a deal. If Rasputin sold his soul to her, she would offer him immortality and supernatural powers. Since Rasputin had always craved something more in life and was already fifty years old when he started the Ogre's War, he struck a deal with this witch. He promised her his soul and, in return, she bestowed him with magical powers and immortality. That was how Blackbeard became an undead being and went back to his given name "Rasputin." He would no longer have a soul, but he would live forever, unless the source of his powers, a green reliquary which he carried around his neck, was destroyed.

Because of this vulnerability of his (it was literally possible to "crush" his powers), Rasputin always made sure to hide the glass reliquary from view, usually carrying it close to his chest underneath his brown cloak. When Queen Millicent proved herself to be equally as heartless as Rasputin himself by promising him Emma once she was born, the child that was prophesised to lead to Rasputin's demise, he offered to share his newly acquired magical abilities with her, if Millicent told him all she knew.

When she was sixty four years old, Queen Millicent abdicated the throne and faked her own death. She then went off to explore the world with Rasputin, but she quickly realised that immortality didn't become her and that something had gone wrong in the transaction of power between her and Rasputin. From then on, Millicent turned into a dragon every time she became angry. It was increasingly difficult for her to turn back into her human form, until she felt the need to seclude herself from the world entirely. That was when Millicent fled to Maravia. There, Rasputin took care of her until Millicent learned to control her "outbursts" and finally succeeded in accepting her new self. After a while, she lead a fairly normal life, except that she could turn into a dragon and create a forest of thorns. Millicent later went on to give herself a new name to fit her new nature. She began calling herself "Maleficent."

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But since Maleficent's death, twenty three years had passed. As the Jabberwocky stood in her room in Everton Castle, she thought back on why she was targeting Emma, why she was helping Rasputin. It was all for her good old friend Maleficent. To avenge her and to make the Charmings suffer as much as she and Rasputin had due to the death of their beloved friend and even lover, in Rasputin's case. The Jabberwocky now glanced over at the three figurines on her nightstand, deciding she would have a little chat with them, albeit a one-sided one. The Jabberwocky knew they could hear her and that was all that mattered.

"Yes, my dearies," the Jabberwocky said, "I'm doing all this for my dear old friend Maleficent and I get Emma's powers into the bargain. If your _Prince Charming_ hadn't killed my dear old friend, we wouldn't be in this mess. Just ask Rasputin," the Jabberwocky sighed, "he was in love with her. But Emma will never find out the truth about me or him until it's too late!" The Jabberwocky snickered, picking up the figurines and gruffly shoving them in one of her drawers.

"Now," the Jabberwocky continued, facing the mirror, as she finished the summoning spell, "let me see Rasputin!" And just as soon as the Jabberwocky had uttered these words, Rasputin's ragged face appeared in the mirror, his poison green eyes glinting maliciously, a wide grin stretched from ear to ear. "Hello, my dear," he said. "Long time no see!"

What the two villains didn't know at the time, was that a falcon had been sitting on the Jabberwocky's window ledge the whole time. She had overheard the Jabberwocky muttering to herself and now flew off in alarm to warn Emma about the Blue Fairy's true identity before it was all too late.

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**A/N:** You'd do me a great favour if you left a review! ;) Thank you!


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